Condolences are pouring in for long-time North Sydney volunteer firefighter who died Saturday after being struck and killed by a police vehicle while rushing to help a young child.
Recently retired, Dave Walsh had spent more than 20 years with the North Sydney Volunteer Fire Department.
He was celebrating his 66th birthday on Saturday when he came to help emergency crews responding to his neighbour’s home.
A two-year-old child had fallen out of the second-storey window of the North Sydney, N.S. home, and was later taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Walsh was struck by a Cape Breton Regional Police vehicle that backed into him. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
“Dave was the type of guy that you could meet him for the first time and think you knew him your whole life,” said Walsh’s friend and local MLA Eddie Orrell.
Flags at the North Sydney fire station flew at half-mast Sunday.
North Sydney Fire Chief Lloyd MacIntosh said grief counsellors are offering support for struggling colleagues, while support has poured in from the community and even abroad.
“The last couple of days have been amazing,” MacIntosh said.
“People have been calling, strangers have been calling,” he added. “The support in the community has been good from all parties concerned.”
The department is planning a full firefighters funeral, to be held at St. Matthew Wesley United Church in North Sydney on Thursday.
“Generally it involves carrying the person on their final trip on a fire truck … and then a series of prayers inside the church and the laying of greens,” MacIntosh said.
Walsh’s death is now under investigation by Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT).
“Possible outcomes would be a potential criminal charge, a potential Motor Vehicle Act charge, or we could determine that the matter was an accident and that no charges should result,” said SIRT director Ron MacDonald.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is being asked to contact SIRT at 1-855-450-2010.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore and Ryan MacDonald
